2010年5月27日星期四

Nickelback brings the party

"Nickelback brings the party | GoRockfest.Com - The Latest Rockfest, Artist's Live News"Chris Vetter
Canadian rockers Nickelback say they don't put on a rock show. Instead, they are hosts to one giant party for 14,000 of their friends.
Nickelback packed the sold-out Target Center on Monday, playing 18 songs in a concert that topped two hours. With thunderous fireworks, flames shooting through the stage, moving light displays and a drum set that was on a hydraulic lift, it was a visual spectacle, as well.

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I would argue the two biggest rock acts of the past decade are Nickelback and Linkin Park. Both have scored countless radio hits, and are wildly popular, with the ability to pack every city on their tour. And, of course, both bands have their detractors, who find their music too generic or mainstream or... any reason to not like the popular music of the moment.
But count me among the people who had a blast at the show Monday night. From the moment the show opened with the energetic "Burn It To The Ground," complete with the afore-mentioned fireworks and shooting flames, the crowd was hooked.
Lead singer Chad Kroeger belted out hits about partying ("This Afternoon"), or raunchy numbers about trying to score with ladies ("Something in Your Mouth," "Shakin' Hands," "Animals") to songs about embracing the moment ("If Today Was Your Last Day"). Most of the songs are fun, party atmosphere stuff. Kroeger's voice is instantly recognizable on the radio, and he has a great talent for writing catchy, mainstream music, both for his band and for others.
Among the fun surprises was Kroeger belting out Garth Brooks' hit, "Friends In Low Places." He also briefly sampled Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" and Bon Jovi's "Dead Or Alive."
The band saved their first radio hit, "How You Remind Me" toward the end of its main set. For the encore, they rocked hits "Gotta Be Somebody" and "Someday," with the jam-packed crowd singing along.
The show didn't slow down for ballads. The songs "I'll Come For You" and "If Everyone Cared" were left off the setlist. So was the spousal-abuse song "Never Again." Instead, the focus of the night was partying, beer drinking, skirt chasing and perhaps too much talk about illegal drug use.
Nickelback has played in the Chippewa Valley before, headlining the 2002 "Summer Jam." I've now seen the band a total of five times, and with a wide arsenal of songs to play, the crowd knows nearly every song, because they've all been on the radio at one time or another.Breaking Benjamin impresses
Of the four bands on the show, Breaking Benjamin was the only one I hadn't seen before, but I have most of their material. The band opened with its current hit, "I Will Not Bow" and moved through hits like "What Lies Beneath" and "Give Me A Sign," which is perhaps the most Christian-sounding song I've heard from a band not considered in the Christian Rock genre. The band closed its eight-song set with the crowd-pleasing "Diary of Jane." Like Nickelback, they opted not to slow down their set. The title song from their latest CD, "Dear Agony" was skipped, and probably because it was just too slow, or too much of a downer.
I would best compare these guys to Trapt, who played at the Northern Wisconsin State Fair last summer, and are on the Rock Fest 2010 lineup. Speaking of Rock Fest, Breaking Benjamin would be a smart choice for Rock Fest organizers to sign up to the 2011 show. These guys brought the energy up with their short, impressive set.Shinedown shows growth
Shinedown easily put on the best rock show on the Sunday lineup at Rock Fest last year, topping headliners Buckcherry and Korn. The band has only grown in popularity since last summer, and their confidence in playing before a large crowd is evident. Lead singer Brent Smith has a pleasant deep voice that can turn into a growl on edgier songs, but stay mellow and calm on the tunes with deeper meaning.
Like Breaking Benjamin, they were limited to just eight songs, so they got the show off right by starting with "Sound of Madness" and quickly moving into "Devour." They slowed it down to dedicate a song to a band member of rock group Slipknot, who had died earlier in the day. Smith then sang the lighter material like "The Crow and the Butterfly" before finishing with their biggest hit, "Second Chance." Shinedown is so impressive live, they deserve more than just eight songs. "I Dare You" and "45" were skipped, which was disappointing.Sick Puppies start it off
The Australian rockers Sick Puppies rocked through a nice six-song set to get the show started. I love these guys; I saw them at a club in Minneapolis in December. They opened with "War," and moved through "All The Same," "Pitiful," "Odd One," and "Should've Known Better," before closing with the fighting-themed "You're Going Down." Sick Puppies have great stage presence for a three-member band, and like Breaking Benjamin, should be on the short list for the 2011 Rock Fest lineup.
The only complaint is the Target Center was barely half-full when these guys took the stage at 6:15 p.m. It's too bad that some people don't bother showing up to see the opening act, because sometimes those openers put on the best show. Remember that I mentioned that I had seen Nickelback five times? Well, the first time was at the Minnesota State Fair in September 2001. Nickelband was the completely unknown opening act for Three Doors Down that night.